l-tyrosine

General Questions
#1

I read about an amino acid called l-tyrosine (the organics buffs might have heard of it). Apperntly this realses dopamine in your brain to aid in mood enhacement. Wouldn’t this make it addictive. This is based on the fact that nicotine is addictive because it also realeses dopamine in your brain. This would also suggest that you would either have to be 18 to get it, it would have to be on prescription only, or it would be scheduled (therefore illegal OTC). Anyone have any thoughts.

Formerly known as Nec3f on the AOL SDMB

#2

Quick, make it illegal!!!
That, and running. And hot peppers. And sex.
And speaking in tongues.

#3

Well, considering l-tyrosine is one of the 20 essential amino acids, it is containted in nearly every food you eat. l-tyrosine is indeed a precursor to l-dopamine, which is a neurotransmitter. But your body only converts l-tyrosine to l-dopamine when there is a perceived need for l-dopamine. If your body doesn’t have a shortage of l-dopamine, it won’t convert any excess l-tyrosine to l-dopamine, and you’ll literally piss away any excess l-tyrosine you’ve consumed. So, l-tyrosine may have an effect in raising l-dopamine levels in people whose diet may be deficient in l-tyrosine. But if you are eating enough protein, you get more l-tyrosine than you’ll ever need in your diet. If your l-dopamine levels are still too low, and you are eating a balanced diet, there’s something else wrong in your body, and taking excess l-tyronsine won’t help a darned bit.

BTW, same is true for tryptophan and melatonin, and lots of other neurotransmitters. Most neurotransimitters are made from modified amino-acids, and the body only makes them if it needs them, loading up on the amino acids does not cause your body to make more neurotransmitters. And you get more amino acids in a well balanced diet than you will ever need to make all of your neurotransmitters.

Jason R Remy

“One pill makes you taller, and one pill makes you small, but the ones that mother gives you don’t do anything at all”
– Jefferson Airplane * White Rabbit * (Slick, G. 1966)

#4

Was tryptophan the one that is at a high level in turkey meat and supposedly makes you sleepy?

#5

Wait a minute. So then why is nicotine addictive. If you have enough dopamine in your system then nicotine shouldn’t really do anything. So is it that if you have enough tryptophan, melatonin, dopamine then you can’t have more just by taking supplements or precursurs. Or can you still release more by taking precursurs which turn into the chemical in question. For example, If I have enough tryptophan (which relases seratonin) in my body and I take more trytophan, nothing will happen right. But if I have enough tryptophan in my body and I take some 5-HTP (a precursur to trytophan that will turn into tryptophan) then will I have more or will it still just be pissed out.
Oh boy, I’m getting confuses, I hope someone can make sense out of this.

Formerly known as Nec3f on the AOL SDMB

#6

Nicotine is ITSELF a neurotransmitter than can stimulate the release of dopamine from selected neurons. Very different proposition than just increasing availability of a raw ingredient for dopamine.

Sue from El Paso
members.aol.com/majormd/index.html

#7

oh.

Formerly known as Nec3f on the AOL SDMB

#8

Majormd pretty much covered this, but to emphasize:

Tryptophan and tyrosine and any number of other amino acids are used by your body to make more neurotransmitters. They are simply converted into the required neurotransmitter whenever your body needs it.

Nicotine and other drugs operate on two levels: they elevate the demand for neurotransmitters and they act as neurotransmitters themselves. The result of both is that your brain becomes accustomed to the altered levels of neurotransmitters floating around; and if you quit cold turkey, your body wants those neurotransmitters back.

Its all bodily economics: Excess supply has little effect unless there is a demand for it.

As for turkey and all that jazz, I’m inclined to believe (though this is a bit of a WAG) that the tryptophan, which is a melatonin (and melanin) precursor, is not necessarily the cause of the thanksgiving nappies. Lots of other foods, such as bananas, have as much, if not more, tryptophan in them. No one wants to take a nap after eating a bunch of bananas.

Jason R Remy

“One pill makes you taller, and one pill makes you small, but the ones that mother gives you don’t do anything at all”
– Jefferson Airplane * White Rabbit * (Slick, G. 1966)

#9

As for turkey and all that jazz, I’m inclined to believe (though this is a bit of a WAG) that the tryptophan, which is a melatonin (and melanin) precursor, is not necessarily the cause of the thanksgiving nappies. Lots of other foods, such as bananas, have as much, if not more, tryptophan in them. No one wants to take a nap after eating a bunch of bananas.

I could be wrong but I thought tyrosine is a precursur to dopamine, 5-htp and tryptophan a precursur to seratonin and melanin is just the pigment in your skin.

Formerly known as Nec3f on the AOL SDMB

#10

5HTP is 5-hydroxytryptophan, and damn near the same stuff as tryptophan for our purposes. Amino acids are precursors for dozens and dozens of chemicals in the body, and with only about 20 amino acids to work with, there’s lots of things your body does with any particular amino acid. Tryptophan is a precursor to melanin, melatonin, and seratonin. As one of only 3 aromatic Amino Acids, it is a major precursor for lots of stuff. Eating excess tryptophan will still not increase you bodies production of any of these beyond your own natural demand.

Jason R Remy

“One pill makes you taller, and one pill makes you small, but the ones that mother gives you don’t do anything at all”
– Jefferson Airplane * White Rabbit * (Slick, G. 1966)